Phillips 66 gives $1.7M to BPSD

Phillips 66 gives $1.7M to BPSD

A new school year has begun for Bartlesville Public School District students — with a significant contribution from Bartlesville’s largest employer.

Phillips 66 Chairman/CEO Greg Garland announced a $1.7 million contribution to the Bartlesville Public School District on Tuesday afternoon at a press conference held at the Bartlesville High School campus.

According to Garland, the funds will be used to build ‘Innovation Labs’ at all secondary schools within the district. The labs will support science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses.

“This is a great opportunity to demonstrate the partnership of Phillips 66 and the community of Bartlesville,” Garland said. “It demonstrates our commitment to our schools and our students.”

The contribution was given as a result of a team of local educators and Phillips 66 employees applying for a grant from the company in the spring. The grant-writing team was headed up by Granger Meador, district science teacher for BPSD, and Scott Bilger, who sits on the BPSD Board of Education and is also a Phillips 66 employee.

“This is going to mean a revolution in science teaching and math teaching in Bartlesville,” Meador said. “We’ve got all the legs of STEM … in this grant from Phillips 66. We are going to offer new courses in grades nine through twelve … We are just going to see a lot more kids take advantage of these opportunities at an earlier grade level.”

Garland said the decision to give the grant to Bartlesville was an easy one to make with the thoroughness of the grant application and because of the company’s continuing commitment to Bartlesville.

“We’re pleased to announce that Bartlesville was chosen this year to receive a Signature Community Initiative award,” Garland said. “The Phillips 66 Innovation Labs will help to boost Bartlesville’s student participation and achievement in STEM. This investment in Bartlesville’s students also helps make the city more attractive for recruiting and retaining our high-performing employees and their families.”

Garland also pointed out that Bartlesville is in a unique situation to foster this program because of the company’s presence here and the retiree base that can also assist with additional opportunities.

“Because our research and information technology hubs are here in Bartlesville, there’s also a unique opportunity for volunteer mentors from our company and the community to strengthen the Innovation Lab curriculum,” Garland said.

According to Garland, the gift also made sense as the building of these new labs coincides with the 2013 school bond issue projects that are currently underway in the district.

Dr. Gary Quinn, Superintendent of Bartlesville Public Schools, also said the timing could not have been better.

“With the current construction going on at the high school, for example, the grant will allow us to renovate the current cafeteria in the main building into a space that will hold lab and computer space for three new STEM electives,” he said. “This is an exciting day for Bartlesville Public Schools. We are pleased that Phillips 66 has partnered with us to continue the excellence in our district. This will have far reaching impact on our students and will allow us to have a STEM program that will rival any school district in the nation.”

The grant program will be initiated in three phases that coincide with construction projects at the high school, the mid-high building and the existing Central Middle School building.

The first phase at the high school will allow for renovation of the existing cafeteria into the innovation lab. A new cafeteria/commons area is part of the new freshman academy currently under construction at the BHS campus. It will also include funding for research-based science courses, a new freshman engineering curriculum and space to complete competitive team projects. The phase is expected to be completed in time for the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year.

A second phase will be completed in conjunction with the relocation of the current Madison Middle School to the Mid-High school building in 2015. Existing space will be renovated to provide for a “Gateway to Technology” course, a new science lab for team teaching and to provide hands-on experience for middle school aged students.

The final phase will take place when Central Middle School undergoes extensive remodel in 2015 and 2016. Existing space will be converted into similar STEM facilities that will mirror the renovation at the current mid-high building.

Chancellor Glen Johnson with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education said the significant gift enhances the prominence of Bartlesville schools and that the partnership between Phillips 66 and BPSD is one that he hopes other school districts can learn from.

“Your school system here and, quite frankly this community, has a reputation statewide for making education their top priority,” he said. “I salute Phillips 66 and Bartlesville for making this happen.”

Merl Lindstrom, vice president of Technology for Phillips 66, said the donation will be a benefit for the community and for the company.

“Bartlesville is fortunate to have outstanding teaching talent and we hope the Innovation Labs inspire students to new heights of scientific and technical creativity,” Lindstrom said. “Hopefully, someday these STEM students will join us and help generate solutions to our new challenges and the technological innovations that are necessary in our business.”

Phillips 66 is Bartlesville’s largest employer, with a local workforce of approximately 2,000 people.

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